1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid abrasive cleanser composition. More particularly, the present invention relates to a liquid cleanser having a low viscosity which can be dispensed easily from a container and which is stable during storage for a long period of time. The cleanser comprises a partially cross-linked polyacrylic acid, a hydrotrope, a nonionic surfactant, a water-insoluble abrasive, a pH regulator and water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Commercially available abrasive cleansers are powdery products comprising finely divided mineral substances, stones or rocks containing silica as main component, a surfactant, bleaching agent, etc. In use, the powdery abrasive cleansers have the disadvantages that when they are dispensed by shaking from a container, the cleanser powder scatters and, moreover, it is necessary to apply water to them whereby to form a suspension or dispersion. Improvements in abrasive cleansers have therefore been desired. For overcoming these disadvantages, liquid cleansers comprising cleanser particles dispersed in water have been proposed. In many of the liquid abrasive cleansers proposed heretofore, higher fatty acid alkylolamides and ethoxylated higher fatty acid alkylolamides are used as dispersion stabilizers for the cleanser particles as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,281,367 and Japanese Pat. Laid-Open No. 22908/1972. The viscosities of those dispersions are made extremely high, i.e., higher than 5000 cps, in order to maintain the dispersion stable for a long period of time. Consequently, the dispersions have poor fluidity and it is not easy to dispense same from a container. Further, the dispersion state of the cleanser particles is very unstable if the ambient temperature changes widely. Sometimes, the cleanser particles settle in the container, which is disadvantageous and, therefore, the liquid cleanser container must be shaken before use in order to make the entire cleanser composition homogeneous again.